Sunday, January 12, 2014

Christmas Morning

Believe it or not, our Chinese alarm clock was late going off Christmas morning, (too much night life on Christmas Eve, I guess). She was late getting her big brothers up, so our morning was late getting started. John, Jr, and Abbey and Elijah fixed cinnamon rolls for everyone. (Daniel joined them later). They brought the breakfast to our room and we all ate. Then, down to the living room for presents, we all scurried.

Waiting patiently….

Trying to catch a few winks before…

Ready to catch it all on video…

Evie Claire's first Christmas…

Greg's 2nd Christmas with us

When the wrapping paper settled, and believe me there was no shortage of such, there wasn't much time to enjoy the gifts, we had to skedaddle off to Nana and Grandaddy's house.

Once there Evie met a lot of her family for the first time.

Aunt Anna

Great Grandaddy and Great Nana

Great Uncle Tom, Great Aunt Betty and cousin Jordan

and cousin Layne, who thought Evie needed a little pat.

Proud Mimi and Papa

First Christmas as a family of 3

My two big girls, now Mommies…

Layne thinking, "What can I get into now???"

The two John's…

Needless to say, we don't get everyone together often, so we seized the moment and took some pictures.

My Mom and Dad's grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Our family…

I love them all so!!

After discarding mounds of wrapping paper, making our bellies full, declaring basketball champions and catching up with everyone, it was time to say goodbye and journey back to our home.

When we got home, Anna, Jamie and Layne finally made it to our house to open yet even more presents.

What a Christmas it was! It was a time to celebrate our family and build more bonds and make memories. It came too quickly and went much, much too quickly!

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Christmas 2016

About Me

My husband, John, and I have been blessed with 6 marvelous kids. The path to each of them, whether by birth or adoption from China, was orchestrated by God and we are grateful for each of them. This blog is about our family.

Paradox

My Marvelous Family

Favorite Quotes

"The Bible calls debt a curse and children a blessing; but in our culture, we apply for a curse and reject blessings. Something is wrong with this picture." ~ Doug Phillips

"I can not change the world but I can change the world for one person" -Mother Teresa

"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out and proclaiming, 'Wow, what a ride!!!'"

"Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphan and widows..." James 1:27

"Occasionally in life there are those moments of unutterable fulfillment which cannot be completely explained by those symbols called words. Their meanings can only be articulated by the inaudible language of the heart.” - Martin Luther King Jr

"To be certain of God means that we are uncertain in all our ways: we do not know what a day may bring forth. This is generally said with a sigh of sadness. It should rather be an expression of breathless expectation."- Oswald Chambers

"All that we call human history--money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery--[is] the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy." -C.S. Lewis

"One can give without loving, but one can not love without giving." Amy Carmichael

"The past effects the future, but does not have to determine it"-Dr. Karyn Purvis

"Time and experience have taught me a priceless lesson: Any child you take for your own becomes your own if you give of yourself to that child. I have born two children and had seven others by adoption, and they are all my children, equally beloved and precious" ~ Dale Evans

"How can there be too many children, it's like saying there are too many flowers." ~ Mother Teresa

“ The most precious jewels you’ll ever have around your neck are the arms of your children.” ~Author Unknown

Elijah's Adoption Timeline

September 2008Announced to family that we were planning on adopting from China for the second time October Started homestudyNovemberFinished all our homestudy visits, but had to get extra clearances for Daniel and AnnaJanuary 2009Send I800A to USCIS in ChicagoFebruary 20USCIS agent called and said approval was ready, but we might want to consider having Anna fingerprinted(she would soon turn 18)February 26Dana, our advocate, called and we first saw Eli's precious faceMarch 23I 797C- USCIS approvalMarch 24Dossier sent to our agency, A Helping HandApril 4Dossier sent to China!!! Praise the Lord!April 15Log In Date!! April 22Nurture and Care Plan, formerly LOI sent to CCAAApril 29Pre-ApprovalJuly 2Letter of Acceptance, or Letter Seeking ConfirmationJuly 6Mailed in acceptanceJuly 10Sent in I 800July 12I 800 received in ChicagoJuly 13First Pre-Travel MeetingJuly 24Email notification of I 800 approvalJuly 28Received I800 in the mailJuly 29Documents sent to GuangzhouAugust 4Cable sent from NVC to GuangzhouAugust 10Article 5 done and picked up by courierAugust 31Travel ApprovalSeptember 10-26Travel to China